However Bachmann said the personal "price" of running for office as a conservative Republican because "the swamp is so toxic."

The 61-year-old said she and her husband Marcus are "normal people and not money people," adding that wealthier potential candidates have more financial protection against smears and "frivolous lawsuits."

"This is not an easy place to be," Bachmann said. "But I trust in a big God."

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff of California said that "people have suffered enough" because of President Trump and that a real leader would re-open the part of the government that has been shuttered since December.